New Delhi: Jasprit Bumrah achieved a significant milestone by taking his 100th wicket in T20I cricket during India’s match against South Africa at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on December 9. With this achievement, Bumrah became the first Indian bowler to claim 100 wickets in all three formats of the game.
His 100th wicket was that of Dewald Brevis, marked by some controversy due to a close no-ball call. This incident occurred in the 11th over of the second innings when Bumrah bowled a back-of-length delivery that Brevis attempted to pull but instead mis-timed, leading to an easy catch by Suryakumar Yadav.
The third umpire reviewed Bumrah’s front foot for a potential no-ball, which seemed close, as it appeared he had nothing behind the popping crease. Nevertheless, the decision favored Bumrah, and Brevis was given out. The view of Bumrah’s foot was partially obstructed, drawing comments from several observers. Zimbabwean commentator Pommie Mbangwa opined during the match, “That looks like a no-ball to me,” highlighting the mixed reactions online. One user wrote on X, “That was a no ball. Who is that Third umpire? Is he blind? Jasprit Bumrah clearly overstepped. Poor Umpiring,” while another stated, “Dewald Brevis is not out (cry emoji) it’s no ball,” reflecting the divided opinions surrounding the incident.
Despite the controversy, the dismissal had little impact on the match’s outcome, as South Africa was already struggling at 68/6 after 10 overs, needing 107 runs with only four wickets remaining and Brevis being the only recognized batsman. Bumrah further added to his tally by dismissing Keshav Maharaj just four balls later, with Maharaj edging the ball to wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma.
India’s bowlers quickly wrapped up the innings, with Axar Patel claiming his second wicket in the next over and Shivam Dube finalizing the match by taking the wicket of Lutho Sipamla. Bumrah, along with Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, and Varun Chakravarthy, each took two wickets, while Hardik Pandya and Dube contributed with one wicket each, resulting in South Africa being bowled out for their lowest T20I total of 74 and losing the match by 101 runs.
